C ROSSING THE L ANGUAGE B ARRIER Inclusion and Engagement of Immigrant Communities Through Art Carolina Alfaro de Carvalho Multimedia Translator B.A./M.A. Translation

My Professional Experience 20 years translating Portuguese, Spanish and English, 10 years teaching film subtitling English (or another regionally powerful language) taken for granted as only commercially viable option Driving force behind most translations of audiovisual products: import from majority culture or desire to gain access/validation to majority culture Skilled professionals, high-quality translations make a big difference Vertical relationship

Audiovisual Translation Subtitles/captions, dubbing/voice over, interpretation Translation conveys verbal information in a foreign language Non-verbal information (images and sounds) are preserved and supplemented by translation

Docs for Change Motive: learning more about the creative aspects of documentary filmmaking, networking with producers Working with other fellows: Common stories, perceptions and feelings among all immigrants Eagerness to tell stories across cultures More horizontal connections, not only vertical Translators/interpreters discovering deeper social role Not just as “neutral” conveyors of meanings, but as active participants and catalyzers of social connections, awareness and change

Docs for Change Subtitling workshop for DFC fellows

Docs for Change Subtitling workshop for DFC fellows

Docs for Change Subtitling workshop for DFC fellows

Docs for Change Subtitling workshop for DFC fellows Stories take new meanings, entertaining and engaging multiple minority groups directly Translators come to “own” the translations they get involved with Audiences engage more with materials adequately translated into their languages

Lessons Creating and sharing digital media is affordable and accessible Engaging immigrant or minority groups through visual arts is deeply empowering Translation should be considered important part from the start Consider forms of multimedia translation since early production stages Subjects can express themselves fully in their own languages English or other majority language as lingua franca, but not only option

Lessons Empathy, engagement, connections and conversations among immigrant groups, horizontally Mutual support, confidence building, empowerment Power to create allied to the power to communicate in their own language and make it accessible to others

C AROLINA A LFARO DE C ARVALHO Multimedia Translator CarolAlfaroTranslations.com MultimediaTranslation.org